But if the numbers are right, the Surface will be competitively priced. The 32 gigabyte model was listed at $499 without the Touch Cover, which has a built-in keyboard. Adding a Touch Cover brings the price to $599, and a 64-GB model with Touch Cover is $699.

The page doesn’t indicate whether the higher-capacity model is available without a Touch Cover. If you buy the Touch Cover separately, it runs $119.99.

The Touch Cover has “soft”, touch-sensitive keys, while the Type Cover, with hardware keys, is a $129.99 accessory.

The base, 32-GB model with no touch cover underprices an iPad with the same capacity. Apple sells its 32-GB, Wi-Fi-only tablet for $599, and its 16-GB model is $499.

The Surface RT will only be available with a Wi-Fi connection – mobile broadband isn’t an option. Apple’s Wi-Fi + 4G iPad models add another $129 to the price.